1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to communication systems. More specifically, the present invention is directed to a multidirectional repeater for repeating incoming data on a plurality of output lines while inhibiting the line driver associated with the incoming data line.
2. Description Of The Prior Art
A conventional repeater circuit in the communication system is employed to repeat input data received on an input line onto one or more separate output lines. In such a basic system, the function of the input line and the output lines are separate and are not interchangeable. However, in a communication system where the output lines may be also used as input lines to the signal repeater, the problem of repeating data received on one input/output line onto one or more of the other input/output lines requires a selection of the input/output lines onto which the data is to be repeated while inhibiting of the input data transmission with respect to the input/output line on which the input data was received. Failure to inhibit the line driver associated with the input/output line on which the input data was received will result in overwriting the input data with repeated information. Further, failure to select the appropriate transmitters for producing the output data from the repeater will result in repetition of the data being originated by the repeater.